Cherish
by NinjaLadyHinata
Summary: The journey we take through life can be cruel, unbearable so, but in finding something to cherish such cruelty can be forgotten and in doing so can make way for infinite possibilities. In simply caring for others many things can be discovered; friends, family, purpose and even love. An OC focused Tales of Vesperia story.
1. Chapter 1

_Whew why does it feel like it has been forever since I posted? Oh yeah it has! Sorry everyone for the delay. Between AP classes, going to college and then PAYING for that college things have been a little hectic to say the least for me and Anneliese..._

**Anneliese: She left me in a cold computer file for nearly a year...It was awful.**

_Hm sorry about that but good news is I have put new life into this story! Hopeful it lives up to your expectations and if not well...too bad. Just Kidding! But seriously Anneliese got a major makeover (not in physical appearance but in the way she acts). The plots different from what I had envisioned at first while working on the trial version of Cherish, a complete 180 actually, but it gives me more room to breathe and warp the plot line to my own personal whims! MUAHAHAHA! _

_It will follow the main Tales of Vesperia plot but will follow Anneliese's adventures (if you could call them that). So anyone in the game is fair game (was that a pun or just bad word choice?) so please leave a review telling me what specific characters you would like to see in Cherish as it of this moment is not complete (what can I say I procrastinate). _

**Anneliese: No Patty though. As myself and Kirby hate her with a burning passion. :)**

_*Shivers* No offence to Patty fans but I found her character annoying in the PS3 version (yes I played it in Japanese. Complete joy by the by. I hated not knowing what was going on but... Flynn being in the party made it all better ;). That and his outfits, yummy). Whoops got sidetracked anyway ANYONE is fair game including characters from the Tales of Vesperia movie First Strike (Amazing movie go watch it now if you haven't already!). _

**Anneliese: Kirby forgot one thing about character requests however...**

_Huh?_

**Anneliese: Try as we might we can't revive the dead. So make sure you request that character before they die in Cherish,**

_OR we'll have them in flashbacks! That sounded really cold you know that Annie?_

**Anneliese: You know what else is really cold? Your body after I shoot you for using that name!**

_Uawww! Without further ado Cherish!_

**_I do not own Tales of Vesperia. I only own Anneliese and any other OC that appears in my story._**

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><p>Chapter 1 : Blind Ambition<p>

Posted : 7/22/11

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><p>The first light of dawn rose above the horizon in a fiery arc. Its blaze shone upon the Imperial capital, Zaphias; awaken its residents from their slumber. The city's weekly public market began to bustle with activity as peddlers began showing off their wares while potential buyers circled the stalls searching for the best deals. The market was loud and oblivious to the elderly man entering the market square too absorbed in their own shopping to notice him laying down a worn blanket of burlap in his usual spot just outside the entrance to the lower quarter. He spread out his wares with practiced ease and slowly, joints cracking in his descent, sat down on the blanket.<p>

John sighed deeply before clouded eyes gazed into the heart of the market, unwavering as if searching for someone or something familiar. Eyes never leaving the market's heart he pulled out a large set of colored pastels and began to sketch the endless sea of color before him in his book. This weekly ritual was routine to him, his drawing book filled with depictions of many things John recalled from long ago. Faces, places and the like adorned his book acting as physical manifestations of his memories and they aloud others to view John's life. He smiled, wrinkled fingers remaining steady as he recalled the image of the person that had already consumed many of pages in his drawing book.

The playful image of a child appeared in the book more than any other person sometimes playing or reading but a smile always graced the child's small chubby face. John imagined what the child's face looked like now, wondering if it still had its chubby cheeks or if it still possessed its carefree smile? It was a question that John would never truly be able to.

Eyes twinkled in muted joy as the clock tower's large bell tolled, signaling the time and the second part of his routine. The next part was the part John enjoyed the most as a familiar female tone called out from the entrance to the lower quarter.

"How you manage to wake up this early John I'll never know." The newcomer teased while taking a seat next to the focused man as he drew.

"Anneliese haven't you ever heard the saying, 'the early bird gets the worm'?"

She snorted in usual fashion pulling her long maroon locks into a high ponytail before speaking. "Well I suppose it's a good thing I'm not a bird and I don't fancy eating worms as my main food source. Speaking of food," Eyeing the multitude of bags that lay on the blanket, "What delicious breakfast food have you brought for me today?"

He chuckled as she rummaged through one of his nearby bags, "And what makes you think that I have anything for you? Perhaps I have decided that it's time for you to prepare your own meals and to stop mooching off me."

"Granted I could but you make the best meals."

"Such flattery. Who are you and what have you done with the real Anneliese?"

"I'm capable of flattery, I just rarely use it. Seriously though, where is the food? I'm starving."

"Second bag. In the left pocket where it always is."

"I knew that I was just testing you."

"What good would come of testing me? I'm just an innocent old man who desires nothing more than to make his young charge happy."

"Was this the same innocent man who dumped his dirty water on Captain Cumore?"

John smirked remembering the man's, if you could call him that, anger. His 'accident' earned him quite the reputation within the knights because Cumore gripped and moaned about it for a month. If Anneliese remembered correctly his uniform was slightly discolored because of it.

"I honestly had no idea he had been beneath me when I threw it."

"Sure."

The clasp on the bag emitted a small click as it contents were revealed making Anneliese gasp in surprise. "When did you find the time to make rice balls?"

"You'd be surprised how much time one has on their hands at my age."

Anneliese took a large bite of one, enjoying the flavor before pulling out two wooden lunch boxes. "Honestly John you're spoiling him. Next thing you know I'm going to wake up on the streets and he's going to be in my bed."

"I wouldn't kick you out," He paused, picking up another pastel. "You two would just share a bed."

Anneliese coughed, choking on some of her rice ball. She beat on her chest with her fist but didn't continue breathing normally until John smacked her firmly on the back. She shook her head in disbelief at him, "All old men are dirty perverts aren't they?"

"No, it's just that you kids twisting our words to your own perverted minds."

"I'm not going to have this conversation it's too," she frowned shaking her head, exasperated. "Weird."

"You know I'm always right."

"No. You just steer the conversation in the most awkward direction."

"Otherwise known as winning but I doubt the Commandant would like his lieutenant or his best recruit to go hungry. And the lunch is some of the food left over from last night's dinner." He said with a tinge of sadness.

Anneliese bit the inside of her cheek. Lately she hadn't been able to make it dinner leaving John to eat all alone. He never got angry at her absence he would just give it to her in a lunch box the next day and ask her if she would be home for dinner that night.

"So tell me," John started taking a sip of water before he continued. "What's got you up at nine in the morning when usually you don't go in until at least noon?"

"Simple." She said while taking another bite of her breakfast. "I am the Commandant's lieutenant. Whatever he says goes regardless of my," she paused for a moment taking the water flask from John's liver spotted hand, "sleeping problems."

A deep laughter erupted from John as Anneliese took a large bite out of her rice ball to cover her embarrassment. He grinned, eyes never leaving the square as he continued to draw. "Annie I don't think sleeping is your problem. It is more so the waking up part." Her face reddened, almost matching the color of her long auburn hair. A comfortable silence settled over the pair as they ate their breakfast until the next set of bells rang as the clock struck ten. This toll marked the end of their routine as did the arrival of a blonde male who was heading there way. Anneliese stood taking the boxes with her and handed him one to the blonde halting his approach.

"Another one? Anneliese I can't just take this without showing my telling him thank you."

She shook her head at him. "Flynn we're already running late as it is. John knows-"

But he promptly ignored her, walking around her towards John. Before she could intervene Flynn offered his hand to the old man with a friendly smile. "Hello Mr. Caecus (1) I am Flynn Scifo, a fellow knight with Lieutenant Lennox. I just wanted to thank you for all the lunches you've made for me in the past year and-"

"Mr. Scifo I'm flattered by your gratitude but I believe your thanks are misplaced as I believe no knight, commandant or recruit, should go into battle hungry."

"But Mr. Caecus-"

"Pah forget it Mr. Scifo. It has been my pleasure to feed such an upstanding knight. Now run along, I imagine Anneliese is waiting impatiently." Flynn turned around to find Anneliese tapping her foot on the ground watching them. "And stop it with this Mr. Caecus. Mr. Caecus was my father you may call me John."

"In that case," Flynn said with a smile as Anneliese approached holding the lunch boxes, "You can call me Flynn."

John turned his attention to Anneliese. "I trust you'll be home later tonight then Annie? Maybe even in time for dinner?" His tone clung on Anneliese as she fastened her gauntlets on. His voice pulled on something inside of her chest causing her happy face to sink but luckily John failed to notice.

"Maybe John." She said with a false smile already knowing that like the nights before she would not be there and John would have to eat alone. Again.

The tugging sensation grew worse as John's pale eyes twinkled, "Perhaps I'll even make dumplings. They're still your favorite aren't they?"

"Yeah."

He nodded still facing the crowd as the blastia operated clock tower rang out a second time and Anneliese gave John a one armed hug.

"See you at home Annie." The pulling gave one final tug at John's nickname for her. There was only a handful of that could get away with calling her that nickname and not get punched for using it.

"So Annie, huh?" A sharp cry of pain came shortly after Flynn's question. Apparently he was not in that handful.

As Flynn and Anneliese headed off towards the royal palace John sat on his mat pale eyes seemingly watching the mirage of colors and sketching them. He paused for a moment and eyes finally looked away from the market looking instead towards the sky. Pale green eyes gazed in the sun without pain at the sun's harsh rays. He could hear Anneliese's voice get further and further away until it was little more than a whisper. His gaze shifted downward to his book oblivious to Flynn waving goodbye from the stairs. He didn't see Anneliese jerk his arm down whispering angrily in his ear or Flynn's shocked expression. It wasn't simply because he chose to ignore it. No, it was because John Caecus was blind.

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><p>Sweat pooled on Flynn's forehead as he pressed his claymore hard against his opponent's katana. He knew he had her now in close combat like this he had the advantage because of his strength. The blades scraped against each other and the katana began to groan in protest making Anneliese jump back quickly to avoid the blade shattering in her face. This jump coupled with Flynn's push made her katana fly from her hand successfully disarming her. He stood, panting in pure shock at his victory.<p>

"I...won?"

Anneliese didn't allow him to bask in his victory for too long as she quickly pulled out her secret weapon placing its muzzle against his temple. "Nope."

"But disarmed you." He stated and pointed at her pistol. "Using your flintlock is cheating."

"Disarming an opponent means nothing," She swung her leg sweeping him off his feet just for good measure. She knelt down to look him in the eyes, "Always remember that your opponent doesn't always run on the same code and he will do anything to get away." She offered her hand, "Even cheat."

He let out an annoyed huff taking Anneliese's hand and brushing off his uniform while she put her flintlock pistol back in its holster on her left thigh.

"Besides," she started placing the borrowed weapons back on the rack, "Bianca's my baby I would never leave her out of a fight.(2)" She cooed to her pistol patting it gentle with her hand causing Flynn to roll his eyes.

"I'll never understand why you named your weapons or why you talk to them."

"Don't listen to the mean boy Bianca. He's just a sore loser." He sighed as they left the training room for the dining hall lunchboxes in hand. As usual it was full to the brim with people, knights and servants alike. They were lucky to find two empty seats near the back of the hall. Anneliese opened her box smelling the familiar scent of John's shrimp tempura.

"This is amazing!" the young blonde sitting across from Anneliese exclaimed as the two of them ate their lunches specially made by John. She watched him with a slight smile on her face as his blue eyes light up as he took a bite of some of John's homemade tempura.

"This is much better than anything I could ever cook." He commented savoring the tempura's flavor.

"Flynn I would much rather eat the slop they serve here than your cooking again." She snorted remembering her first time experiencing Flynn's cooking. He had attempted to make rice balls in return for sharing her lunch with him while they were served under Captain Fedrock in Shizontania(3). The rice balls, if you could call them that, were far too sweet but she choked them down and promised him she would supply the lunches from now if only to spare herself from enduring his horrible cooking(4).

"I thought I had gotten the recipe right. Maybe if I add more sugar?"

"Flynn anyone could tell you that rice balls are seasoned with salt not sugar."

His cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as more knights entered the mess hall. "Really? I could have sworn that the recipe called for two teaspoons of sugar…," he held his chin contemplating while Anneliese shook her head. "Flynn I think you'd best give up those dreams of becoming a gourmet chef and focus on being a knight."

He chuckled slightly at her comment and they continued eating their lunches in comfortable silence. Anneliese turned her gaze away from her food for a moment to gaze out the room's large window. Blue rings hung over Zaphias like a halo protecting them from the horrors that lie just beyond the barriers. She allowed her mind to wander as she imagined what life would be like without the aid of the blastia. She sighed tearing her gaze and thoughts away from such a life, such a thing was impossible and was foolish to think about.

"Anneliese?"

"Flynn do you still intend on fixing the empire like you said before?"

"Of course. Yuri and I made a promise that we would change the empire. Even if Yuri has lost his way I won't. I made a vow and I intend to see it through."

The corners of her mouth quirked in a lazy smile. It was refreshing to see someone stick with their resolve.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

She laughed slightly causing red to dust his cheeks and a hand to sweep across his face trying to brush off some invisible speck. Anneliese's laugh dulled leaving only a dimpled smile as evidence that she had. "Nothing just happy to hear that a year of doing grunt work hasn't shaken your resolve."

"What is your goal, Anneliese?"

"My goal remains the same as it has always been. To protect the people of the empire as best I can and to serve my Commandant."

"Just that?"

"You make it sound so easy." She said meeting his eyes causing him to shift in his chair. It was rare that she was able to make him squirm and the times she could, well Anneliese liked to make him suffer. This time she decided to let him off easy. "I understand what you meant; Flynn there's no need to get so flustered."

"But you have no bigger dreams?"

"Maybe I'll become the first female commandant ever and then you could become my lieutenant! I could make you do all my paper work while I did all the fun stuff!"

"Like that would ever happen."

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><p>Her mother was most likely rolling in her grave right now. Not that it was a bad thing especially since the late Mrs. Lennox had died early enough that she couldn't mold her daughter into the perfect noble but she did die late enough for Anneliese to know that her position as a Knight lieutenant would have shamed her into an even earlier grave. She couldn't help the small smile that forced its way to the surface at the thought of her mother's furiously ranting and raving about how her posture was "far to manly" and her hands were so large "they could crush a man's skull".<p>

"Hm quite a change to see you actually smiling Lennox. Did Cumore die while I was away?"

Anneliese would have jumped at the voice a couple years ago but she had grown accustomed to Khroma's quiet ways. She held an air of grace, something Anneliese lacked, and seemed to float on air as she walked. She pursed her lips in agitation at the older woman's obvious taunt but quickly slipped into their repertoire.

"Not that I know of but one can dream can't they? But Khroma," Gesturing to the older woman's shorts, "Have you ever heard of these things called pants? You should try them. That there would be a startling change. What would the recruits have to ogle?"

"I imagine they would just have to fantasize about their buxom lieutenant as she danced circles around them in training." She said leaning against the wall waiting for the ever patiently for the next set of friendly insults but as Anneliese opened her mouth the side door opened revealing Anneliese's Captain, Commandant Alexei. He walked with an elegance befitting the leader of the Imperial knights. Anneliese couldn't help but notice that he had heavy bags under his eyes and his usually tidy desk was cluttered with maps and other assorted papers. She watched as he sat at his desk trying to recall the last time she had seen him look so old and disorganized.

"Lieutenant Lennox I trust there has been no problem with your assignments?"

"No sir. So far no one seems to be aware of things and the people you have assigned me to watch are progressing in their training." She said referring to the latest batch of recruits. There was a pause as Alexei crossed the large room to gaze out on Zaphias below. The market was in full swing with lower quarter peddlers still trying to sell their second hand items while nobles scoffed at the items in disgust. Many a time a proposal had been raised banning the lower quarter sellers from even attending but it had been quickly shot down by him and the other ranking knights. Much to the displeasure of the council. From up high they looked like the miserable ants they were, ignorant to the world but no matter. He sneered at the people below.

"Sir?"

"Tell me," Alexei turned quickly from the sight of Zaphias and its inhabitants to look at his violet eyed lieutenant. "What is your opinion of the young Mr. Scifo?"

"He is a little too optimistic for my taste sir. The typical idealist from humble beginning with a heart of gold believing that with a wave of a hand he can change the world. He's rather hard-headed and for lack of a better word obsessive.(5)" She responded eyeing the Commandant warily. "That being said he's one of the best damn recruits we've got."

"Truly you hold him in such high confidence?"

"Yes sir."

"Interesting. Well then you weren't called here to discuss recruits all day. I have a new assignment for you."

Khroma's eyes darted from Anneliese's kneeling form to Alexei suddenly. What was he thinking? Her amber eyes bore into Alexei's poising the question burning in her mind. His mouth formed a thin line giving her the answer she sought. Anneliese's violet eyes lifted from her staring contest with the floor as she too was taken by surprise.

"Sir?"

"As your 'star' recruit has no doubt told you he will soon be leaving on his pilgrimage and that will leave you with out an assignment for quite some time so I have a new one for you."

"Anything Sir." The admiration clear in her voice, she would do anything for him. He had built her up from nothing and turned her into a respectable knight of the empire. She held the Commandant's gaze as she spoke, "Your will is my command."

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><p>1: Caecus is Latin for "blind".<p>

2: Dragon Age 2, anyone? Varric is such a loveable little dwarf with a heart of gold and thick chest hair and an odd compulsion to talk to his crossbow and fondle it.

3: Captain Fedrock and Shizontania are in the ToV movie The First Strike (I'm not gonna spoil the movie by telling you about the plot in this story until MUCH later or possible in a fanfic of the movie who knows?). I'm unsure if I'm going to reference it further in _Cherish_ as of right now but anyone reading this story should go watch it. Lots of funny Flynn moments.

4: If you've done the cooking challenge (it's two in the morning I don't remember its exact name right now) you no doubt saw how Flynn is the worst cook ever. I couldn't leave him hanging so of course Anneliese had to be a somewhat decent cook for you know when they get married and have babies and such (Not that I'll ever write about that...unless someone wants me too).

5: In one scene (I think its entitled Flynn part 1) Yuri and Estelle are describing Flynn. I thought Estelle's view of Flynn was more like childish wonder and Yuri's was more accurate. So I may have used his words. (I'm the author; I'm aloud to do that).

_Whew! What do you guys think? Pretty snazzy, right? The POVs switch (sorta) but I promise next chapter Anneliese will take center stage. -_- I'm practically waiting for muffin to comb through all my grammar and other assorted mistakes... :) but it's like a waiting for Christmas type waiting. Disregard my Author Notes muffin they are my stream of consciousness therefore not to be subjected to your grammar Nazi ways! Ahem..._

_Please leave a review with any comments/CONSTRUCTIVE criticism/character inclusion votes. Maybe I'll feel more inclined and update faster if I get lots of reviews..._

**Anneliese: Resorting to blackmail already it's not even past the first chapter...**

_Just for that back to the cold, desolate pit for you! _

**Annie: Not the pit it burns! -kudos to anyone who gets this reference.**

_*Shoves Annie into Cherish file* Well now people REVIEW!_


	2. Chapter 2

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Hey, hey. Better late than never right? Hehe… but in all seriousness I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! It was hard work and I owe it all to IHaveNoIdea8 and Yuna-TheAnimeLuver, Cookies to you guys for using extortion and annoyance tactics to get me to work. I'll try to update as much as I can so stay tuned and as always review!

Chapter 2: The World as Estellise Knows it

_"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." -Madeleine L'Engle_

If Anneliese had to pick her favorite place in the entire capital, it would have to be the library. Not the measly public library in the Lower Quarter which contained more dust bunnies than books, nor the Nobles' esteemed library whose books featured more pictures than words. No, her favorite library was the castle's private library reserved for Imperial mages and researchers. If the new assignment the Commandant had given her wasn't to babysit some noble, she probably would have been more excited about its location and the prospect of reading some more.

Bookcases rose high up into the ceiling while large windows bathed the surrounding bookcases and tables in a pale glow. The smell of old books permeated from every corner of the room, inviting Anneliese in. Despite being the largest library in the capital, few people were inside besides the odd mage or two. Violet eyes scanned the surrounding tables for her new 'assignment', but none of the people sitting around the library looked anything like the person the Commandant asked her to guard. She sighed inwardly, cursing her current predicament before considering where the girl could be.

"Where else could she be?" she wondered, "It's not like there's another library in the castle, and even if there was I'm sure I would know about it…huh…" She held her chin in thought only to be brought out of her reverie by a sharp gasp, which was followed by a sharp pain on her head. Before the looming darkness on the edges of her vision overtook her, Anneliese couldn't help but laugh at the irony. A knight trained for combat taken out by a falling book, somewhere she knew John was laughing at her.

"Oh no…Please don't be dead, don't be dead." A light feminine voice chattered as Anneliese's world came back into focus. Not dead but one painful bump she could feel forming on the back of her head. The bump, acting as an epicenter of pain, was the worst of it, but the most annoying was the incessant ringing.

"Oh praise be whatever divine force has saved me from thine bound terrors. Forever shall I pray to thee….ow…"

"Thank goodness you are alright. I thought I would be able to grab the book, but then it slipped on my way down and you were there, and it fell from my hands and you were…"

"Ugh, will you just shut up already?"

The throbbing became worse as the girl prattled on; white spots consuming her vision instead of the ominous black ones. Anneliese had experienced enough concussions to recognize the early stages of one. She groaned inwardly at the prospect of dealing with it when she came home to John. He'd no doubt laugh at how she obtained the wound, but when she needed to be woken up every other hour or so, he'd be there making sure she wasn't dead. Despite being an absent-minded old man, he could be surprisingly thoughtful when he wanted to be.

As Anneliese pondered how much exactly John would laugh at her misfortune, a calming wave of energy ran over her entire body. Over many injuries she had become accustomed to the feeling of healing artes in use. Their feel depended entirely on the caster; some were like waves lapping against your feet at the beach, while others felt like they were literally cauterizing the cut flesh back together. The latter of course being less favorable, but this was an entirely different experience. It felt like a gentle caress, like how a mother would tend to a child. It was an odd experience, for her being raised by John for most of her childhood life she'd never known such a feminine touch. It felt nice. The pain was gone immediately, leaving her in a sort of dazed state.

"Does that feel better?"

Anneliese blinked once, then twice, and then again for good measure. Pale green eyes on a delicate face framed by light pink hair. Anneliese could only hope the ground would open up and engulf her right there.

"You're…Lady Estellise Sidos Heurassein."

She tilted her head to the side, "I am. And you are?"

"A thousand apologies, My Lady! I am terribly sorry I did not recognize you sooner!" She shouted, standing quickly and bowing repeatedly. Unfortunately for Anneliese, her shouting was louder than the set volume for a library and she was promptly shushed by every reader in the area but Lady Estellise. This caused her hidden face to turn bright red, matching her vibrant hair.

She was going to be yelled at by the Commandant now. No doubt Lady Estellise would run straight to him demanding a better guard. One that wasn't so absent-minded as to be knocked out by a book or that didn't get shushed in libraries, or one that didn't curse books. She could feel it coming soon, Lady Estellise would tell her to leave her presence and she would be punished by the Commandant. She anticipated all sorts of reactions: yelling, silence, glaring. One reaction she did not anticipate was laughter.

It started off small but proceeded to grow as Anneliese looked at her through heavy bangs. The other readers muttered angrily to each other, annoyed at the Lady's laughter. Not wanting her to be embarrassed, she let out an awkward laugh.

"Do you two think this is some sort of gossip lounge?!" Both girls nearly jumped out of their skin as a haggard woman came out from behind one of the bookshelves. The minute older woman appeared, Anneliese cringed. High cheekbones and tiny eyes reminded her of her old etiquette instructor when she lived in her mother's mansion. Her teacher was a harsh woman who Anneliese lashed out at when she was a child, often earning her a slap or bed without dinner. As she grew older though, Anneliese began to learn how to manipulate her way into the older woman's good graces. When Anneliese saw Lady Estellise shrink as the older woman drew closer, she knew she would have to use that same trick again.

"Just what sort of library do you think I run here, hm?" The librarian berated the younger girl.

"I just…" Estellise began only to be cut off by the librarian.

"Just what? Thought the Imperial Library would be a good place for a chat?!"

"Actually it was my fault, Mrs. Jareau," Anneliese said, glancing at the woman's name tag, "You see, I was looking for a good book on the history of Terca Lumeris when Lady Estellise was kind enough to help me find a book on the subject."

"Hmph. Well do try to be more careful next time. Many books in our collection are thousands of years old, dating all the way back to the…." The older woman rambled on, walking back through the rows of bookcases. By living with John and her etiquette instructor, she learned that the older a person is, the more they talk and lecture.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what, Lady Estellise?"

"Get Mrs. Jareau to stop lecturing you. She always scolds me for the littlest mistakes…"

"Oh, well you see…" Anneliese said, picking up the accursed book from the floor, "I've been coming to the Imperial Library for years, and I've learned that like most other older people, she likes the sound of her own voice. I bet if you went after her, she'd still be talking about the library's noble heritage."

"Really? I always thought she just liked to shout at people."

"She does, believe me," Anneliese said, carefully grabbing the stack of books Lady Estellise had been carrying.

Estellise gave her small smile, "Oh, you don't need to carry those, I can handle them."

"I don't doubt that, but we wouldn't want to drop these books again. The Anthology alone is at least a thousand years old."

"Really? I had no idea this library had books dating back that far."

Anneliese nodded, walking towards an empty table while Estellise followed behind her. "Most people don't, unless they listen to Mrs. Jareau. The library's ordering system is different than others, which keeps this secret hidden."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, normally a library is divided up by their book's titles alphabetically, and by their subject matter. The Imperial Library uses both those methods, but it also divides their books by their year of publication."

"So the oldest books go on the top rows of the shelves and the newer books go on the lower rows?"

Anneliese placed the heavy books on the table, pulling out the chair for the younger girl, "That's right."

Taking the seat across from her, Anneliese fell under the girl's inquisitive stare. "Is there something on my face, Your Highness?"

She shook her head, "No, It's just… You know who I am, but I don't have any idea who you are."

"That's right, I never formally introduced myself, my apologies, again," Anneliese said, standing up straight while saluting, "Lieutenant Anneliese Lennox. I have been ordered to act as your personal bodyguard for however long Commandant Alexei deems it necessary."

"Oh, you're the one who beat Flynn this morning."

"How did you hear about that, Your Highness?"

"Flynn told me about it when he came to visit me during his patrol. He was quite upset about it."

"He came to visit you?" Anneliese prodded. At least now she had something to taunt him with the next time they sparred.

"Yes, he often tells me stories about his life. He's a fantastic knight."

"Stories, Your Highness?"

"Sometimes they're about his life in the lower quarter, or some of his exploits outside the barrier."

"I take it you're a fan of stories, Your Highness?" She said, eying several of the large tomes surrounding them.

"Of course. In stories we can truly lose ourselves, seeing the world through the eyes of others. We are capable of learning about many things one could never hope to experience within their lifetime."

"Well, how about instead of sitting in this library, we go outside and I can tell you a couple of my own stories."

"Outside?!"

"What is it, Your Highness? Are the gardens not suitable? I suppose we could go to one of the sitting rooms…"

"Oh, the gardens, of course. That sounds like a marvelous idea, but what about…" Estellise gazed at the several books piled at the end of the table.

"We can bring those with us, Your Highness."

"Are you sure that it is alright to take these with us? They are quite old after all…"

"Trust me, Your Highness, I've borrowed many such books before, and no one's ever said a word about it."

"If you're sure, Lieutenant Lennox."

"Since I'm going to be your guard for the next few months please call me Anneliese. Being called by my rank and last name so much makes me feel old."

"Oh, in that case you can call me Estellise." She said with a large smile.

As they made their way through the castle corridors in silence Anneliese really didn't know what to make of Estellise. Of all the Nobles she had ever met were self-centered idiots who couldn't be bothered with the world outside their own making but Estellise was…

"Wow, look at them all!"

The entire castle garden was covered in butterflies. Hundreds of them fluttered from flower to flower with ease. "Anneliese, look."

On Estellise's finger sat a lone pink and red butterfly. Its wings flicked open ever so often making the girl giggle. 'Yes,' Anneliese thought, 'she's very different.'


End file.
